Impacto de la COVID-19 sobre la salud mental en Uruguay / Impact of COVID-19 on mental health in Uruguay

Introducción. Los antecedentes de cuarentenas han señalado impactos en el corto y largo plazo en la salud mental. Objetivo. Describir las repercusiones generadas en el área de la salud mental en la población uruguaya mayor de 18 años, de las variables ansiedad, tristeza y dificultades para conciliar el sueño, en el periodo comprendido entre el 13 de marzo de 2020 al 10 de junio de 2021. Metodología. Estudio transversal analítico. Se aplicó una encuesta web, auto-administrada. Se analizaron las frecuencias absolutas y relativas porcentuales y sus intervalos de confianza (95 %). Se estimaron modelos logísticos binarios para las variables dicotómicas y modelos logísticos multinomiales para «dificultad para conciliar el sueño¼. Resultados. En relación a los elementos de ansiedad, 27,1 % (IC 95 % 24,8-29,3) y 31,0 % (IC 95 % 28-33,3) respondieron sentirse ansiosos en el primer y segundo corte, respectivamente. El 19,9 % (IC 95 % 17,6 - 21,7) en el primer corte, mientras que el 31,4 % (IC 95 % 20,06-33,89) lo confirmaron en el segundo. El nivel educativo medio se asoció con la presencia de ansiedad (p < 0,001), mientras el bajo se asoció con tristeza (p = 0,005). Se observó un efecto protector en hogares con más de cinco miembros para la variable tristeza con un OR de 0,41 (IC 95 % 0,22 - 0,75). Se encontró relación entre el género femenino y la presencia de ansiedad y tristeza. Los niveles educativos medio y alto se vieron relacionados con la presencia de ansiedad y la tristeza se asoció con el desempleo. Los trastornos del sueño se asociaron al género femenino, desempleo y enfermedades no transmisibles. Conclusión. Los trastornos de ansiedad, la afectación del sueño y los sentimientos de tristeza fueron prevalentes, las familias de mayor número de miembros tuvieron un efecto protector sobre estas manifestaciones

Introduction. The history of quarantines has pointed out impacts in the short and long term on mental health. Objective: Within the framework of the measures decreed to reduce the transmissibility of SarS-Cov2, we propose to analyze the repercussions on the mental health of the Uruguayan population. Methodology. Analytical design. Application of a self-administered web survey. Absolute and relative percentage frequencies and their confidence intervals (95 %) were analyzed. Binary logistic models were estimated for dichotomous variables and multinomial logistic models for «difficulty falling asleep¼. Results. Regarding anxiety elements, 27.1 % (95 % CI, 24.8-29.3) and 31.0 % (95 % CI, 28-33.3) responded feeling anxious in the first and second cut-off, respectively. 19.9 % (95 % CI, 17.6-21.7) and 31.4 % (95 % CI, 20.06-33.89) reported feeling sad in the first and second cut-off. Medium educational level was associated with the presence of anxiety (p < 0.001), while low educational level was associated with sadness (p = 0.005). A protective effect was observed in households with more than five members for the sadness variable with an OR of 0.41 (95 % CI, 0.22-0.75). Female gender was related to the presence of anxiety and sadness. Medium and high educational levels were related to the presence of anxiety and sadness was associated with unemployment. Sleep disorders were associated with female gender, unemployment and non-communicable diseases. Conclusion. The impact on mental health was unequal, especially affecting women from middle socio-educational sectors, between 35 and 59 years of age

Investigation of coronavirus anxiety, health anxiety, and anxiety symptom levels in vertigo patients during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects the mental health of vertigo patients. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of coronavirus anxiety, health anxiety, anxiety symptom levels, and demographic variables on vertigo and its severity in vertigo patients during the pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 15 to November 15, 2021. In total, 118 patients with vertigo and 82 healthy controls participated in the study. Besides demographic and clinical data, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale-Anxiety Subscale (HAD-A), and Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) were applied to all participants. Additionally, Vertigo Symptom Scale-Short Form (VSS-SF) was administered to vertigo patients. Results: According to the findings, vertigo patients experienced higher levels of coronavirus anxiety, health anxiety, and anxiety disorder compared to the healthy controls. In vertigo patients, the rate of coronavirus anxiety was 20.3%, and the rate of anxiety disorder was 32.2%. Majority of the patients (80.5%) were found to have severe-level vertigo. Additionally, most of the patients (82.1%) reported that the severity of vertigo during the pandemic was higher than before the pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic causes serious mental health problems in vertigo patients, and pathological levels of these problems increase the discomfort of vertigo. Therefore, psychological assessment should be considered in these patients, and required psychological support and guidance services should be provided.

Investigation of coronavirus anxiety, health anxiety, and anxiety symptom levels in vertigo patients during COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects the mental health of vertigo patients. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of coronavirus anxiety, health anxiety, anxiety symptom levels, and demographic variables on vertigo and its severity in vertigo patients during the pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 15 to November 15, 2021. In total, 118 patients with vertigo and 82 healthy controls participated in the study. Besides demographic and clinical data, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale-Anxiety Subscale (HAD-A), and Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) were applied to all participants. Additionally, Vertigo Symptom Scale-Short Form (VSS-SF) was administered to vertigo patients. RESULTS: According to the findings, vertigo patients experienced higher levels of coronavirus anxiety, health anxiety, and anxiety disorder compared to the healthy controls. In vertigo patients, the rate of coronavirus anxiety was 20.3%, and the rate of anxiety disorder was 32.2%. Majority of the patients (80.5%) were found to have severe-level vertigo. Additionally, most of the patients (82.1%) reported that the severity of vertigo during the pandemic was higher than before the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic causes serious mental health problems in vertigo patients, and pathological levels of these problems increase the discomfort of vertigo. Therefore, psychological assessment should be considered in these patients, and required psychological support and guidance services should be provided.

Factors associated with health anxiety in medical students at a private university in Lima, Peru.

INTRODUCTION: There are few studies that examine the factors associated with the different levels of health anxiety in medical students. The objective was to determine the factors associated with the levels of health anxiety in medical students in 2018. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out with 657 medical students from a private Peruvian university. Participants answered a questionnaire from which information was collected regarding levels of health anxiety (SHAI). For the analysis, linear regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted betas, and their 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The mean health anxiety score was 14 ±â€¯6.7. An association between health anxiety and the year of study is reported, with the second year showing the highest scores. In addition, an association between health anxiety and smoking is highlighted, as there are higher levels in occasional smokers, as well as a weak inverse correlation with age. No association was found with sex, place of birth, or having a first-degree relative that is a doctor or health worker. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that age, year of studies and smoking are associated with health anxiety levels. More studies are required, especially of a longitudinal nature.

Factores asociados con la ansiedad por la salud en estudiantes de Medicina de una universidad privada en Lima, Perú / Factors Associated with Health Anxiety in Medical Students at a Private University in Lima, Peru

RESUMEN Introducción: Existen pocos estudios que examinen los factores asociados con los distintos niveles ansiedad por la salud en los estudiantes de Medicina. El objetivo es determinar los factores asociados con los niveles de ansiedad por la salud en estudiantes de Medicina en el ario 2018. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal analítico con 657 estudiantes de Medicina de una universidad privada peruana. Los participantes respondieron a un cuestionario donde se recopiló la información respecto a los niveles de ansiedad por la salud (SHAI). Para el análisis se empleó la regresión lineal para calcular los betas, brutos y ajustados, y sus intervalos de confianza del 95%. Resultados: El promedio de la puntuación de ansiedad por la salud fue de 14 ± 6,7. Se reporta una asociación entre la ansiedad por la salud y el año de estudio, y el segundo año es el que revela puntuaciones más altas. Además, pone de manifiesto la asociación entre la ansiedad por la salud y el consumo de tabaco, pues hay niveles más altos en los fumadores ocasionales, así como una débil correlación inversa con la edad. No se revela asociación con el sexo, el lugar de nacimiento, tener un familiar de primer grado médico o un familiar de primer grado personal saiario. Conclusiones: El presente estudio evidenció que la edad, el año de estudios y el consumo de tabaco se asocian con los niveles de ansiedad por la salud. Se requieren más estudios, especialmente de naturaleza longitudinal.

ABSTRACT Introduction: There are few studies that examine the factors associated with the different levels of health anxiety in medical students. The objective was to determine the factors associated with the levels of health anxiety in medical students in 2018. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out with 657 medical students from a private Peruvian university. Participants answered a questionnaire from which information was collected regarding levels of health anxiety (SHAI). For the analysis, linear regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted betas, and their 95% confidence intervals. Results: The mean health anxiety score was 14 ± 6.7. An association between health anxiety and the year of study is reported, with the second year showing the highest scores. In addition, an association between health anxiety and smoking is highlighted, as there are higher levels in occasional smokers, as well as a weak inverse correlation with age. No association was found with sex, place of birth, or having a first-degree relative that is a doctor or health worker. Conclusions: The present study showed that age, year of studies and smoking are associated with health anxiety levels. More studies are required, especially of a longitudinal nature.

Investigating the effectiveness of tele-counseling for the mental health of staff in hospitals and COVID-19 clinics: a clinical control trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of tele-counseling for the mental health of staff working in hospitals and reference clinics during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: In the first stage of the study, using a convenience sampling strategy, 313 staff members working at Iran's hospitals and COVID-19 clinics answered a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory online. In a second stage, 95 staff members who were willing to participate in the intervention were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 51) or control (n = 44) groups. The intervention consisted of seven intensive tele-counseling sessions. RESULTS: In the first stage, the percentages of anxiety and depression related to coronavirus were 79.2% and 82.1% and the mean health anxiety score was 17.42. In the intervention phase, anxiety related to coronavirus and to perceived risk of illness (likelihood of illness) were significantly lower in the intervention group in comparison with the control group (p = 0.001). Depression related to coronavirus and anxiety related to the negative consequences of infection were non-significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group (p = 0.08 and 0.12; respectively). CONCLUSION: Continuous monitoring of the negative psychological impacts on medical staff of outbreaks as well as implementation of appropriate interventions to respond to them should be emphasized in order to improve staff mental health.

Investigating the effectiveness of tele-counseling for the mental health of staff in hospitals and COVID-19 clinics: a clinical control trial

Abstract Objective To investigate the effectiveness of tele-counseling for the mental health of staff working in hospitals and reference clinics during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods In the first stage of the study, using a convenience sampling strategy, 313 staff members working at Iran's hospitals and COVID-19 clinics answered a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory online. In a second stage, 95 staff members who were willing to participate in the intervention were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 51) or control (n = 44) groups. The intervention consisted of seven intensive tele-counseling sessions. Results In the first stage, the percentages of anxiety and depression related to coronavirus were 79.2% and 82.1% and the mean health anxiety score was 17.42. In the intervention phase, anxiety related to coronavirus and to perceived risk of illness (likelihood of illness) were significantly lower in the intervention group in comparison with the control group (p = 0.001). Depression related to coronavirus and anxiety related to the negative consequences of infection were non-significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group (p = 0.08 and 0.12; respectively). Conclusion Continuous monitoring of the negative psychological impacts on medical staff of outbreaks as well as implementation of appropriate interventions to respond to them should be emphasized in order to improve staff mental health. Clinical trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20170611034452N11.

Factors Associated with Health Anxiety in Medical Students at a Private University in Lima, Peru. / Factores asociados con la ansiedad por la salud en estudiantes de Medicina de una universidad privada en Lima, Perú.

INTRODUCTION: There are few studies that examine the factors associated with the different levels of health anxiety in medical students. The objective was to determine the factors associated with the levels of health anxiety in medical students in 2018. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out with 657 medical students from a private Peruvian university. Participants answered a questionnaire from which information was collected regarding levels of health anxiety (SHAI). For the analysis, linear regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted betas, and their 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The mean health anxiety score was 14±6.7. An association between health anxiety and the year of study is reported, with the second year showing the highest scores. In addition, an association between health anxiety and smoking is highlighted, as there are higher levels in occasional smokers, as well as a weak inverse correlation with age. No association was found with sex, place of birth, or having a first-degree relative that is a doctor or health worker. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that age, year of studies and smoking are associated with health anxiety levels. More studies are required, especially of a longitudinal nature.

Nivel de ansiedad de estudiantes de medicina de primer año de una universidad privada del Perú en tiempos de Covid-19 / Anxiety Level Of First-Year Medical Students From A Private University In Peru In Times Of Covid-19

Introducción: La actual pandemia por un nuevo coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) ha cobrado la salud y la vida de muchas personas mundialmente. Esto genera un impacto negativo en la salud mental del personal de salud, lo cual incluye a estudiantes de medicina. Objetivo: Determinar el grado de ansiedad presente en estudiantes de medicina del primer año de una universidad privada, Lima-Perú. Métodos: La muestra estuvo conformada por 57 estudiantes de una universidad privada en Lima-Perú. Se aplicó la escala para medir el Desorden de Ansiedad Generalizada-7 (GAD-7). Los datos fueron analizados mediante tablas de frecuencias y de contingencia, además se realizó el análisis bivariado aplicando las pruebas estadísticas X2 y T de Student. Resultados: El 75,4% de los estudiantes de medicina manifestaron algún grado de ansiedad. Se encontró asociación estadísticamente significativa entre el sexo femenino y ansiedad (p = 0,045). Así mismo, no hubo asociación entre las variables edad y ansiedad (p = 0,058). Conclusión: Los estudiantes de medicina de primer año evidenciaron niveles altos de ansiedad durante la actual pandemia, siendo las mujeres entre quienes la ansiedad se presenta con mayor frecuencia. Se hace oportuno el desarrollo de estrategias de intervención en los centros universitarios para el cuidado de la salud mental de los estudiantes de ciencias de la salud.

Introduction: The current pandemic due to a new coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) has claimed the health and lives of many people worldwide. This has a negative impact on the mental health of health personnel, which includes medical students. Objective: To determine the degree of anxiety present in first-year medical students from a private university, Lima-Peru. Methods: The sample consisted of 57 students from private university in Lima Perú. The scale was applied to measure Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The data were analyzed using frequency and contingency tables, in addition bivariate analysis was performed applying the statistical tests X2 and Student's t. Results: 75.4% of the medical students manifested some degree of anxiety. A statistically significant association was found between female sex and anxiety (p = 0.045). Likewise, there was no association between the variables age and anxiety (p = 0.058). Conclusion: First-year medical students showed high levels of anxiety during the current pandemic, with women being among those who anxiety occurs more frequently. The development of intervention strategies in university centers for the care of mental health of health sciences students is timely.

Cibercondría: Un nuevo ente clínico en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19 / Cyberchondria: A new clinical entity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introducción. Vivimos en un mundo globalizado que se mantiene conectado mediante el internet. Determinar la veracidad de la información que recibimos es difícil, más aún en aquella relacionada con la salud. El internet es una de las fuentes más populares para la búsqueda de información relacionada con la salud y esta conducta se incrementa en el contexto de brotes epidemiológicos. En el contexto de la pandemia actual, se ha encontrado un incremento de ansiedad por temas de salud, siento la principal preocupación el estar infectado por SARS-CoV-2. Estrategia de búsqueda: Se realizó una búsqueda en la base de datos PubMed de todos los artículos publicados hasta el 30 de junio de 2020. La búsqueda de términos incluyo las palabras clave sugeridas por el vocabulario controlado Medical Subjects Headings (MeSH) y conectores. Cibercondria, COVID-19 y Salud Mental: Es crucial el papel de los medios de comunicación, porque podrían inducir ansiedad en la población. La cibercondría implica experimentar ansiedad después de buscar información médica y abordar problemas de salud mediante el internet. Se origina como un comportamiento que busca la sensación de seguridad, sin embargo, tiene un carácter repetitivo y excesivo, lo que conduce a empeorar las preocupaciones. Uno de los riesgos es que los pacientes desarrollen desconfianza hacia el médico y mayor probabilidad de automedicación. La prevalencia de este ente, en nuestro país y en muchos otros es desconocida. En el marco de esta pandemia, es importante que la investigación se enfoque hallar pronto un medicamento eficaz o una vacuna; sin embargo, no debemos ignorar la salud mental de la población, que se ha visto impactada por todos los cambios sociales en nuestras vidas. Conclusiones: La cibercondría es un ente clínico nuevo, que conlleva a la búsqueda excesiva y repetitiva de información sobre temas de salud, en internet; incrementando la ansiedad en las personas. En el contexto de la actual pandemia es necesario evaluar dicho aspecto.

Introduction. We live in a globalized world that is kept connected through the internet. Determining the veracity of the information we receive is difficult, even more so in that related to health. The internet is one of the most popular sources for the search for healthrelated information and this behavior increases in the context of epidemiological outbreaks. In the context of the current pandemic, an increase in anxiety about health issues has been found, the main concern being being infected by SARS-CoV-2. Search strategy: A search was carried out in the PubMed database of all articles published up to June 30, 2020. The search for terms included the keywords suggested by the controlled vocabulary Medical Subjects Headings (MeSH) and connectors. Cyberchondria, COVID-19 and Mental Health: The role of the media is crucial, because it could induce anxiety in the population. Cyberchondria involves experiencing anxiety after searching for medical information and addressing health problems online. It originates as a behavior that seeks the feeling of security, however, it is repetitive and excessive, which leads to worse worries. One of the risks is that patients develop distrust of the doctor and a greater likelihood of self-medication. The prevalence of this entity, in our country and in many others, is unknown. In the context of this pandemic, it is important that research focuses on finding an effective drug or vaccine soon; however, we must not ignore the mental health of the population, which has been impacted by all the social changes in our lives. Conclusions: Cyberchondria is a new clinical entity, which leads to the excessive and repetitive search for information on health issues on the internet; increasing anxiety in people. In the context of the current pandemic, it is necessary to evaluate this aspect.